Conservative forces in the South have a lot of power - almost dynastic - dating back many years. John Darnielle More Quotes by John Darnielle More Quotes From John Darnielle You can get into anything if you are determined. I always thought that with music, too. John Darnielle determined ifs I get nostalgic about having lived in Ames, Iowa, even though being a vegetarian in Iowa is not fun. John Darnielle iowa vegetarian fun I still get really excited looking at stuff that I've seen every day for 20 years. John Darnielle excited stuff years Music is a permanent art, it will always go through phases where you like it and are in tune with it, but saying that music "got bad" is infantile. The same is true with your life. John Darnielle phases tunes art Take dance music: I like enough of it and its history to be able to say a word or two about this or that record, but I'm nobody's authority. John Darnielle records able two I don't celebrate milestones and I don't do anniversary editions. It's not my style to reflect on accomplishments. John Darnielle celebrate style accomplishment People want you to play the songs they know. I try not to reflect too much, and I don't really like to focus too much on myself. John Darnielle play song people My work is more important than I am. I'm just some guy. John Darnielle guy important I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something about lots of things but don't have exhaustive knowledge of much. John Darnielle dilettantes knows worry The process of touring is always so weird to me. Once you've made the album, that's over, you move along. John Darnielle albums over-you moving I couldn't name more than a couple of good drum'n'bass acts, and I have no idea what's big in the dance world right now. John Darnielle couple names ideas The more I learn about stuff the more conscious I become of grave gaps in my knowledge. John Darnielle gaps conscious stuff I think I read too much Arthur Conan Doyle when I was young, and got this idea that a gentleman should know a lot about one thing and plenty about most everything else. John Darnielle gentleman ideas thinking You always feel like your 18-year-old self in some sense. And that's what walking through New York on a June evening feels like - you feel like it's Friday and you're 17 years old. John Darnielle friday june new-york I just started writing stuff to kill time on summer evenings. This is why I'm always telling people who ask me what they need to do to succeed to give up, do something else. John Darnielle giving-up summer writing I'm sort of a cavedweller: I miss my house, my yard, my kitchen, my wife. The trees. When I get home, I like to get down into my office neighborhood as soon as I can. John Darnielle wife office home Giving up and doing something else (nursing, for me) was exactly what eventually led me to making music that other people wanted to hear. John Darnielle nursing giving-up people I do have a romantic interest in outlasting everybody else. There's a sort of sad machismo to singer-songwriters, I think. John Darnielle outlasting singers thinking I'll keep making records until I don't have more ideas for records. John Darnielle records ideas I grew up around some people whose parents toured a lot: tough on the marriage, tough on the kids. John Darnielle parent kids people